The UK isn’t a very relaxing place to be at the moment. High cost-of-living, rubbish weather and a solid six-week wait (or more) for a GP appointment mean that most of us are not particularly zen right now. But some Brits are more wound up than others.
Payingtoomuch, a price comparison website, has been doing some digging in an attempt to find out which UK cities are, scientifically speaking (well, sort of), the most relaxed.
Place your bets now. No points for saying ‘probably somewhere in the north’, because, well, duh. The most at ease city in Britain is (drumroll)... Durham!
You might expect all those hills to raise the cortisol levels in the average Durhamite, but you’d be mistaken. According to Payingtoomuch, citizens of the former mining town report an average satisfaction rating of 7.6 out of 10. Combine this with low population density and high-quality green spaces, Durham is a great place to chill out.
Inverness and Edinburgh respectively claimed silver and bronze, proving once and for all that Scotland is in fact the least high strung of the British nations. Both of the Scottish cities scored well for their proximity to gorgeous scenery, and Edinburgh was commended for low light and noise pollution levels.
The 10 most relaxed cities in the UK
Time (to chill) Out
We know how important it is to take time off every so often. We’ve got a roundup of the country’s best spas to help you unwind, and a specific roundup of the best London spas too. We’ve also got guides to the best wellness retreats in Britain, and our favourite gorgeous natural wonders if you want to get into nature.
Did you see that this popular English seaside resort is getting three brand-new attractions?
Plus: Newcastle’s historic Turkish baths have reopened after an £8 million refurb.
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